


The Next Generation

by Comp_Lady



Series: A Warlock in Thedas [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Gen, magic tutoring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 10:56:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18871804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Comp_Lady/pseuds/Comp_Lady
Summary: There are more kids in Skyhold than Anders expected. Children of the workers and staff, or the Nobility. Of the mages that reside in the tower and roam freely across the grounds. It's more than Anders could have dreamed of seeing within his lifetime. Now one wishes for him to teach her magic.





	The Next Generation

**Author's Note:**

> taken from this prompt on the kink meme [ right here](https://dragonage-kink.livejournal.com/15866.html?thread=59836410)

Despite Hawke's confidence that things were different under the Inquisitor, and Warden-Commander Iola's assurances that she would raze the place if needed, Anders is still nervous in Skyhold. It seems like everyone in the world is here at Skyhold. Like everyone important is slowly finding their way within these walls. He keeps to himself as much as possible, keeping his head down and helping the healers.

Anders takes his breaks in the library. Joining Iola at the table she's claimed for her Important Warden-Commander Research. Not that she spends much time physically at the table. He's never known her to sit in one place for very long, so he's content to read up on new healing techniques and sip his tea as she grumbles over books and notes and pulls at her short hair. This is where he's at when he notices a head of curly blond hair and hazel eyes are peeking out at him from behind a nearby bookcase.

There are more kids around Skyhold than he expected. They’re constantly being brought into the healers for scrapes and bumps that come with childhood. The intent gaze that this girl has as she looks at him presses upon him. He tries not to make his notice of her surveillance evident.

He was always bad at that. Always, always, always. Karl used to poke fun at him for it. That he would always know when they were being watched because Anders got so twitchy. It aggravated the Templars when he was in the Circle. It kept him alive when on the run. It got him caught when on the run.

He taps his mug on the table, a flash of fire and heat infusing it with a bit more warmth so that steam rises anew, trying to knock lose the thought swirling his mind.

There is a tiny gasp. The blond curls bounce over and clamber into the chair across from him.

"You did magic! How'd you do that?! I wanna know how to do that!"

Ander blinks in confusion.

"Mama does stuff like  _ all the time," _ the girl says as she dramatically drapes her tiny body across the table. "She says she won't show me though cause my magic is new an' stuff an' I need to learn from my teachers but they're  _ boring. _ My name is Elariah! Can you teach me?"

"What do you mean your teachers are boring?" Anders has a guess, but he needs a moment to unpack the little avalanche of words. The kid has magic, her mother has magic, does her father? She wasn't stolen from her parents upon birth. This was the dream. This was part of the dream.

Oblivious to Anders' quiet emotional upset, Elariah continues on her little tirade. About how her tutors are boring, how they want her to spend time  _ meditating _ and that's boring and practicing  _ stances _ and that's boring and they won't let her do anything  _ cool _ and that's boring and when she tries to tell Mama and Papa that she can do the big stuff they tell her to listen to her teachers but  _ uuuuuuuuuuuuuggggghhhhh. _ It's the same complaints that Anders had as a child. A lot of kids in the Circle had similar complaints at first, the Templars eventually stamped them out of course. He clears his throat, piling loose notes together and stacking them neatly under a heavy tome. Clearing a space on the table.

"Well they probably don't want you lighting everything on fire."

She groans. Mumbling into the table about how she isn't a baby, she's six! Only babies would be that dumb.

Anders chuckles, moving his mug into the center of the space. "How about something different? Have you tried to make ice before?"

Elariah lifts her face off the table, stares at him wide eyed. "No," she gasps, "how do I do that?"

A smile slides across his face and he beckons her closer. Having her cup her small hands around the steaming mug. Unconsciously he softens his voice, falling into a state similar to what he takes when healing children. Anders never was allowed to tutor the younger apprentices while in the circle, so he is sure that he's doing something wrong. Never the tutor, he might give the younger apprentices ideas. They were right, technically. It is nice though. To talk her through the motions and feelings that go into manipulating her magic. Starting small, just having her lower the temperature of the air around her hands and creating frost on the mug. She gets overly excited and freezes his tea entirely, cracking the mug. She's apologetic, but Anders rushes to point out that it was an accident. That accidents happen when learning magic, don't worry, but that is why her tutors don't want her immediately setting things on fire. Besides, later on he can show her how to mend things that have broken. She relaxes, and so does he.

It becomes a part of his daily routine.

He helps with the healers in the morning. While Elariah has her lessons with her tutors, on history and mathematics and writing and magic. Then he takes lunch, a communal meal where those who reside in Skyhold may come and go as they wish from the Great Hall. Afterwards Ela usually finds him. The next two hours are spent tutoring her on what he knows. Fire comes easily to Ela, as is the case with many young mages. On the days they work with fire (which isn't as often as Ela wants) it feels like he spends most of the time putting out small fires instead of teaching. He tries to get her to stick to making dancing lights and pretty but simple things. Little ice statuettes, making things float or move on their own.

He heals her scraped knees and palms and Ela wants to know how to do that. Each new bit of magic he uses around her Ela wants to know how to do that. Wants to learn how do it  _ now. _

The progress she makes is astounding to Anders. He isn't sure how she compares to other mage children, having no basis of comparison. He's still proud whenever Ela successfully pulls off a new trick. Whenever she shows pride in her abilities. It's something he never would have imagined seeing with his own eyes, let alone having an active hand in fostering.

About a month has passed when life and the past decide to rear their nasty heads.

They're taking a break, munching on some fruits and cheeses. Over the constant bustle of Skyhold Anders hears him. His voice sends a chill up Anders spine, makes him want to bolt.

Knight-Commander Cullen Rutherford.

Well… no Anders has heard he's just Commander now. Commander of the Inquisition's army. There are rumors he's heard since moving to Skyhold. That Rutherford has changed. That he doesn't hate mages anymore. Anders isn't sure he believes the mages that never met the man when he was at his worst. Seeking a second opinion from a few Kinloch mages, mages that got away from The Gallows. They had all shrugged, said that he didn't say anything to their face or impede their lives, so there was that. The Inquisitor trusted him, loved him even, but then didn't they all know someone who had a misguided crush on their captors they would say with a tight smile. They still did their best to avoid him.

It was the method Anders had decided to take up. If he never crossed with Rutherford then he wouldn't have to find out, would he?

Except now it sounds like Rutherford is just around the corner. Anders' eyes immediately snap to Ela laying in the grass, hair spread in a curly blonde halo around her head in the grass. Making little fairy lights appear above her with sticky fingers.

Andraste's tits, Anders isn't going to risk  _ this _ on a rumor. Rutherford could cut her confidence down with a word, it's what Templars do.

Ela sits up, head cocked to the wind.

"Ela, let's head inside, there's something I want to show you." Anders tries, getting to his feet.

She doesn't listen, instead her face splits into a grin and she clambers to her feet. Running off in the direction of Rutherford's voice. Anders makes a strangled noise and leaps to his feet. Just in time to watch Ela jump at Rutherford as he rounds the corner, tugging and pulling at the tails of his coats.

"Papa! Papa!"

What.

"Ela!" Rutherford scoops her up. Hugging her as if he hasn't seen her for an age or more. Anders can't hear what Rutherford says, but he can hear Ela's giggles and see the way she kicks her feet in delight. He sets her down after a moment and kneels to bring himself to her level. She immediately shows off her fairy lights from a moment ago. Little colorful sparks blinking and circling her outstretched hands. Rutherford smiles, and there is no mistaking the pride in his eyes. In the way he ruffles her curly hair. 

Anders can only stand there, trying to wrap his head around  _ Knight-Commander Cullen Rutherford _ looking so proud at one of the simplest spells a young mage can produce. That  _ Knight-Commander Cullen Rutherford _ has a mage child, because there's no other explanation that fits.

Rutherford is holding his hand out for Ela to circle the lights around his gloved fingers when the Inquisitor walks up. With the same look of pride when her too-green eyes light upon the pair. Anders maybe thinks he needs to sit down. Except the Inquisitor crouches, says something, and Ela is turning and pointing to him and oh Andraste's saggy tits. She's leading them over to him by the hand. He's never actually talked to the Inquisitor and has actively avoided Rutherford. He finds himself nervously adjusting his jacket, straightening his shoulders, readying himself for something. Confrontation maybe? Who know what they'll say.

Ela presents him with the best flourish a six year old can muster, introducing him as "Ser Anders" and them as "Mama and Papa." Bouncing excitedly on her toes as she glances between them.

Rutherford clears his throat, seemingly incapable of looking Anders in the eye. Which…  _ good _ , Anders thinks with a vehemence. It should be difficult for him to look a mage in the eye. Any mage, all mages. For what he let happen in the Gallows, for the blind eyes he turned, for  _ 'mages aren't people.'  _ He can act all remorseful now, but Anders knows the truth. Anders knows what he did when he wore Templar armor.

"Thank you, for supplementing Elariah's tutoring. I have to say she's been flourishing since she starting spending time with you."

It's a bit like a slap upside the head, Anders' gaze snapping over to the Inquisitor as she smiles benignly at him. Ela making more lights that she's created dance between them.

"Oh... No problem, she's extremely talented already."

Inquisitor Silversun's smile widens, becoming much more genuine. It's an easy segue into what Anders has been teaching Ela, and how. Wanting to know specifics on his teaching methods, what made him chose to adopt them, where he think he might direct them as Ela gets older. If he still wishes to be her tutor. Assuming that Warden duties haven’t pulled him away and out of Skyhold. She understands that Warden business may very draw them away at any time, but if she could pass the information on to Ela's other tutors it would do her well.

Rutherford still hasn't said much, the occasional interjection in agreement with the Inquisitor but that's it. His discomfort is palpable, and soothes some small rough edge of Anders' soul. The lack of plate armor is a little jarring, it makes him look much more vulnerable. Much more—

Fire bursts up between them, accompanied by Ela's giggles.

All three adults startle. Rutherford and Anders each stumble back a step, the Inquisitor's hands flying forward to wrap around her daughter's hands to smother the flames. Anders takes several deep breaths, trying to slow his heart from it's rabbit pace. Watches as Rutherford kneels down and pulls Ela into a hug. Telling her not to do that, lest she give him a heart attack one day. The Inquisitor laughs weakly.

"If I may make a request? Maybe we could piece together some lessons on self-control, I feel she takes after me a bit too much."

Anders can only laugh breathlessly and nod.

**Author's Note:**

> [I hate tumblr but that's where I am, hmu friends](https://comp-lady.tumblr.com/)


End file.
